Idiots Write About Sports

Hey, remember that agrument I made about trading Octavio Dotel to a contender. Guess that plan’s off the table.

Athletics closer Octavio Dotel will have reconstructive elbow surgery as soon as possible, despite receiving recommendations from four doctors that he try to rehabilitate the injury first.

From a player personnel standpoint, this really shouldn’t affect the A’s too badly. When this team contends again, Huston Street is going to be the closer; best to find out now whether he’s up to the job.

But from a organizational karma standpoint, maaaaaaaaan, that’s irritating. Four doctors — including Lewis Yocum and James Andrews, who know a thing or three about elbows — tell this guy to gut it out, and he decides to get the surgery anyway?

I’m sure no matter how severe his elbow pain, it won’t stop him from signing the back of his paychecks, huh?

Dotel is signed through this season, so the A’s will finance his rehab until his contract expires. He is unlikely to do any baseball work for at least six months after surgery.

So to sum up: Dotel will be paid through the remainder of the season to do nothing. Because he is injured, we are unable to trade him for someone useful. Because the A’s are unlikely to offer arbitration to a player who won’t be able to pitch until mid-2006 at the earliest, we won’t even get compensation when he signs elsewhere as a free agent. And you know that he will sign with the kind of large-market team — the Yankees maybe, or even the Red Sox — that can afford to take a chance on a rehabbing player without it affecting payroll.

Marvy.

So long, Octavio. I’ll think of you everytime someone lifts money out of my wallet.

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